“Do hard things on purpose.”
Episode Summary
I sit down with Cody Rich to talk about hunting, entrepreneurship, podcasting, building a life around time in the outdoors, and creating technology to solve problems hunters actually face.
Cody Rich explains how he started podcasting in 2015 as a way to learn elk hunting, meet people in the industry, and push himself outside his comfort zone. Over time, The Rich Outdoors evolved into conversations about business, hunting, and building an unconventional life.
We also discuss Cody’s goal of taking the entire month of September off to hunt, why lifestyle design requires saying no to certain opportunities, and the tension between making more money and having more time. Cody shares why he believes hunters understand life and death in a way that modern society often misses, and why difficult hunts continue to draw people into the backcountry.
The conversation turns to technology, including mapping, GPS, ballistics, and Cody’s Reckon smartwatch. He tells the story of losing his phone during a solo hunt in Arizona and hiking for 6½ hours while trying to find his way back to a road. That experience helped define the problem Reckon was built to solve. 49:47
We also examine whether technology is making hunters more capable or less prepared. Cody argues that technology improves efficiency, but it doesn’t replace fundamentals such as understanding wind, reading animal behavior, choosing a responsible shooting distance, and practicing marksmanship. 01:05:05
Call to Action
-
Grab some cool TGE merch
-
Be sure to support our show sponsors; they are a big part of making the show possible.
Show Sponsors
-
HSM Ammunition: Learn more at hsmammunition.com
-
Onsite Firearms Training: Learn more at oftllc.us
Key Takeaways
-
Cody Rich started podcasting in 2015 to learn more about elk hunting and build relationships in the outdoor industry. 07:12
-
Consistency matters. Cody committed to publishing every Thursday morning and often stayed up until 2 a.m. to meet that deadline. 09:31
-
Cody believes podcasters should show more personality sooner and remember that being a teacher and a learner can happen at the same time. 14:39
-
His definition of a bigger life began with a simple goal: build a life that allowed him to hunt the entire month of September. 19:04
-
Building a lifestyle business meant creating systems that could function without him and turning down opportunities that required him to work during September. 20:59
-
Cody sees hunting as a way to understand the connection between life, death, food, effort, and the land. 24:49
-
A common trait among hunters and entrepreneurs is a willingness to pursue the unknown instead of choosing comfort and security. 32:55
-
Modern hunting technology improves capability and efficiency, but harvest rates haven’t increased as dramatically as the technology might suggest. 35:36
-
Long-range equipment and range performance don’t eliminate the variables found in real mountain hunting. 38:17
-
Reckon was created to make mapping, waypoints, fitness tools, and hunting information easier to access without constantly pulling out a phone. 40:44
-
Cody’s Arizona experience, where he lost his phone and spent 6½ hours trying to find a road, reinforced the need for a reliable wearable navigation tool. 49:47
-
Technology should support fundamentals, not replace them. Cody highlights wind, animal habits, marksmanship, and choosing an ethical shooting distance. 01:05:05
-
Cody’s three essential Reckon features are the flashlight, mapping, and fitness tracking. 01:12:28
-
Cody says being a good father is the accomplishment he’s most proud of. 01:17:24
Guest Information
Cody Rich is the creator of The Rich Outdoors Podcast and founder of Bridger Watch, the company behind the Reckon smartwatch. He discusses hunting, entrepreneurship, outdoor technology, business building, and the challenge of balancing ambitious goals with family life.
Keywords
Cody Rich, The Gun Experiment, Rich Outdoors Podcast, Bridger Watch, Reckon smartwatch, hunting technology, elk hunting, western hunting, backcountry hunting, hunting GPS, hunting navigation, OnX integration, hunting ballistics, hunting gear, outdoor entrepreneurship, hunting podcast, entrepreneurship podcast, lifestyle business, building a bigger life, hunting in Montana, long-range hunting, hunting fundamentals, marksmanship, backcountry navigation, HSM Ammunition, Onsite Firearms Training, .45-70, Weatherby 7 PRC, Jim Bridger, outdoor adventure, hunting technology for hunters
